OK, I admit, I have became an addict

Well, just thought I would share my progress with everyone. In the past 4 months or so I have produces four kits of wine and one gallon batch of Mead. I am hooked



My progress is illustrated from right to left we have a WE Vintners Reserve Italian Pinot Grigio. Then we have a WE Selection White Zinfandel. Next came a one gallon batch of Joe Mattioli's Ancient Orange and Spice Mead. We followed that up with a batch of Cellar Craft Amarone with grape pack as well as a batch of Cellar Craft Rosso Fortissimo also with grape pack.


Thus far the Pinot Grigio is wonderful. I has been in the bottle about 3 months. The White Zin is great as well. It has been bottled a couple weeks and I opened a bottle a couple nights ago just to check it out. It is truly wonderful as well.


The Amarone is not bad and will needto age. It could be drank now but needs to soften.The Rosso Fortissimo is really rough and will need time as well. It does show great promise and I have bought cheap wines many times that were not as good as this is now. I anticipate a great wine here. Hope it meets my expectations.


The Mead turned out 100% over what my expectations were. It is truly a wonderful drink and was so easy to make. You may see the recipe floating around here or over on Winepress.us forums.


Overall, I have been quite pleased with my progress and results. I am really itching to start making some batches from scratch. I have a little land that I would love to plant a few vines on. Around here about my only choices would be Muscadine and possibly some Cynthiana/Norton grapes which I hear make great dry red wines from but can be a bit tricky to grow around here.


I am not really a fan of fruit wines but may try some blueberry as I live in blueberry heaven as well as Strawberry paradise. I may give them a try though in small batches.


I really appreciate all the knowledge I have received from the wonderful folk here. I may not post much but I sure do read a lot. I hope someday I to can be on the expert end and help a struggling newbie toward success and happiness.


Smurfe

Wow!!!!! Great job on the bottling and I am sure the wine is excellent also.


We have some real passion for making and displaying wines on this forum!

How do you make your labels?


Very nice

jojo said:

How do you make your labels?


Very nice

Click to expand...

I order them from http://www.stoneycreekwinepress.com/They are printed with graphics and I use their software to add the text and then print them out on my laser printer.


The software only works with their labels though but I am a satisfied customer, like their products and actually ordered 6 more packs of labels tonight. If you want 100% custom labels, look elsewhere. I do not have a color printer so these were perfect for me to use on my laser printer.


These are the best labels I have seen thus far in my short career. They are very easy to make. The software is pretty fool proof and the selection of labels are very nice.


Note: The label on the far right bottle is one of George's that he supplies with a kit purchase. When I bought the White Zin kit from George I accidentally threw away the labels that he gave me for that kit and this is what led me to the ones I use now. George does provide some very nice labels himself.


Smurfe Edited by: smurfe

You have some reallygreat looking wines there Smurf. I can't wait until I get to try my Meads.

They all look wonderful, Smurfe!


Yep, you have about the same problem with grape growing that I have, too much humidity during the growing season. About the only choice you have is muscadines and scuppernongs, which can make very good dry or sweet or anything in between wines if the chemistry is addressed well. Anything needs lots of fungicide spraying in our climate.Besides, the jelly is 2nd to none!